Readers Comment On Governor Cuomo's Controversial New Appointment to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Board Of Directors - Will He Decline Appointment/Resign or Accept - Decision Promised For Later Today

Roosevelt Island resident Denise Shull shares this message she sent to Sal Fererra, Executive Director of the Child School/Legacy High School whose recent appointment to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors has generated great controversy and opposition by many members of the Roosevelt Island community.

From Ms. Shull:

 Dear Sal,

As we discussed in our phone call the other day, I was very impressed by your energy, enthusiasm and vision improvements on Roosevelt Island. I was really looking forward to having committee meetings and joint projects with The Child School.

Unfortunately, as I know you have now been informed, the process of your appointment flies in the face of long hard years of work by this community to simply have the same rights and benefits that our country was founded on - one man/one vote and no taxation without representation. This is a tragedy. And to us, it is like a death on two counts - the setting backwards of our liberty and the loss of a man who was working very hard (and succeeding) to make the community better for everyone.

The only reasonable event that can occur now, in my opinion, is your refusal to accept the appointment unless the person you are replacing is the other appointee David Kraut. This puts you on the board, retains a very popular and reasonable board member and while it doesn't move our democratic cause forward, it at least doesn't reverse it.

As you can imagine, this would put your in much better standing in the community while still putting you in a position to accomplish your goals. I would like to be your supporter and I would like to see this community become all that it can be. Others may not agree and I am speaking simply as a private citizen who has lived here for five years and relates to your "Garden of Eden" discovery.

I am sure you agree however that history has taught us that no such thing can happen when the people are not represented by elected officials. Only you can step up now and do the right thing.

I replied to Ms. Shull that I thought it was a mistake to link Mr. Fererra's appointment as a RIOC Board Director to the removal of any RIOC Director including David Kraut because that would re-establish the practice of RIOC Directors being appointed without any Roosevelt Island community input and again make Roosevelt Island a dumping ground for political hacks. Also, I pointed out that David Kraut, though not elected in the recent RIRA elections, was first appointed to the RIOC Board because he was the elected President of RIRA so David Kraut makes the argument that he was elected to the Board of Directors too.

Another Roosevelt Island resident, Vicki Feinmel, shares her thoughts on Mr. Fererra's appointment to the RIOC Board as well:

As a member of the Maple Tree Group, from the first day, I can't express enough what an outrage the appointment of Sal Ferrera to the RIOC board is. So much of the information on the blog is incorrect and, of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but wait until you see what it is like to have a board that is appointed, without an election, and made up of people who don't live here. We will be going back to the old days of 15 years ago when no one had a say, when the board totally ignored the entire community because they were too busy doing favors for their friends or just wanted to please the Governor. There has been criticism of RIRA and the RIOC Board. Of course people aren't going to agree with all decisions, but at least these people have been elected by the community and if you are not pleased you don't have to elect them again and that's the difference.

Don't think for one minute that we haven't been had. This is ugly politics at it's best and don't think for one minute that Mr. Ferrera is not aware of it. Not only is he aware of it, he is part of it.

It is time for this community to unite. The decision may not change but at least the Governor will see how outraged we are. In the next week there will be many strategy meetings and people will be asked to send letters, emails, phone calls, petitions, etc. Join in and help your neighbors in this fight.

Ms Feinmel added that the incorrect information on the blog she is referring to are some of the comments.

Mr. Fererra was offered an opportunity to present his views as well but declined to add to what he said during last Thursday's meeting with the Maple Tree Group. During that meeting, Mr. Fererra promised that he would let the Roosevelt Island community know by today, if he will accept the appointment to the RIOC Board or resign.